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From the creators Shrek comes Puss in Boots, starring the
delightful Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots who reprises his role as
the suave Spanish "swordscat" from Shrek but now he has the main
billing. As opposed to the countless Shrek sequels and even Christmas
spinoffs, Dreamworks have gone back to the drawing board with their
latest computer generated movie which not only distances itself from
Shrek but creates a rather enjoyable tale and probably additional
sequels.
Set before
the Shrek movies, viewers are once again introduced to the feline
swashbuckler Puss where he joins forces with his old friend, Humpty
"Alexander" Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek)
as they attempt to steal magical beans from a rather evil Jack (Billy
Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris).
Their goal
is to use these beans to reach the magic castle in the clouds in order
to steal to goose that lays golden eggs, however things don't according
to plan. From here, we soon learn that Humpty and Puss were once
considered brothers as the film flashes back to their childhood. As Puss
found his way to a Spanish orphanage when he was as kitten, he soon
became inseparable from Humpty and became the eggs protector.
Regrettably, Humpty had
delusions of grandeur and as Puss became the hero of their town, the egg
continued his downward spiral into criminal activities. There last
meeting involved Puss rescuing Humpty from Little Boy Blue's gang,
however this was all an elaborate plan to steal the towns gold and then
leave. The plan fails and the authorities catch them both. Puss is
labelled a criminal and due to the betrayal, he refuses to rescue his
"friend" and leaves him to the guards while he retreats. While Puss
becomes an outlaw, Humpty is receives hard time and does become even
more "hard" boiled.
As they "meet" several years later, Puss unwillingly join forces with
Humpty, thanks to the sexy Kitty Softpaws whom the two share some
colourful banter and chemistry. Puss wants the golden eggs to repay the
town, however Humpty has ulterior motives. Although there are only a
handful of characters in the movie, the actors really get into their
characters, especially Banderas and Hayek. I also enjoyed the
relationship between Jack and Jill with Thornton and Sedaris creating
two very unlikeable yet enjoyable characters. Seeing a giant like man
(Jack) put a diaper on a baby boar is priceless!
The best aspect about Puss in Boots is that you don't need any prior
knowledge of Shrek and the chemistry behind the characters in this film
is a real treat to watch. One of the highlights in the movie is the
"dance fight" between Puss and Kitty, especially when our hero drags his
bottom on the ground to pretend he has worms. From shot glasses of milk
to Humpty reminiscing to Puss about what happened in prison with the egg
stating "Do you know what they do to eggs in prison? I'll tell you this,
it ain't over easy", it's these priceless moments that make the film so
enjoyable.
With action, drama and a touch
of romance, Puss in Boots is definitely a feel good family movie that is
broken up into a set number of chapters that includes the origin of Puss
in Boots to the showdown between the nefarious Jack and Jill to the
stealing the golden goose which will keep most viewers captivated from
start to finish with a very cool ending that mimics the 1995 movie, The
Usual Suspects. All in all, I was captivated throughout the movie and
when it does loose a little steam, it doesn't take too long before it's
right back on track.
To really experience this film, the IMAX 3D edition is how the movie
should be seen because it contains some exceptional 3D effects that look
amazing on the giant screen. Definitely a movie to take the whole family
to during Christmas!
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